Cali Kiwi Consulting

14/10/2026

Who's in?

14/10/2026

09/10/2026

🌏 FROM ILLINOIS TO KOREA TO NEW ZEALAND — CHANTEL’S MIGRATION JOURN...

09/10/2026

What does it really take to start over in a new country? 🌏🇿🇦🇬🇧🇳🇿I...

08/10/2026

Yesterday, I watched some grandparents taking their grandchildren to the beach.

It was term break here, and there was something about watching them together that I found incredibly beautiful.

They looked like two people who had worked hard for the life they had. Maybe they’d farmed, raised a family, built a home, and eventually reached the point where they could slow down and enjoy retirement — now getting to see the world through the eyes of their grandchildren.

And honestly, it made me miss my parents. It made me miss my in-laws.

I don't regret moving away. I don't regret choosing a different life, building something of our own, and giving our family opportunities that might not have been possible if we'd stayed.

But sometimes you can be completely happy with the life you've chosen and still ache for the people who aren't here to share it with you.

You can miss your family even when you don't always see eye to eye.

You can have completely different values, different mindsets, different politics — and still love each other deeply.

Because disagreement doesn't erase love.

Distance doesn't erase family.

And choosing a different path doesn't mean you don't miss the people who were part of the road you came from.

I think that's one of the hardest and most beautiful parts of being a migrant.

You build a life somewhere else, but pieces of your heart remain somewhere else too.

And sometimes, watching a grandparent take their grandchildren to the beach is enough to remind you just how much you miss them. ❤️

08/10/2026

When you grow up surrounded by the same accent, the same cultural values, the same way of seeing the world—you fit.

It’s familiar. It’s home. You don’t have to think about whether you belong because you just do.

And then sometimes you move away from all of that.

You learn new ways of doing things. You hear different accents. You experience different values and perspectives. You become a little bit of both places, but never quite 100% of either.

I’ve often felt that.

Back home, I didn’t always feel like I completely fit. And now, living away from home, I don’t always feel like I completely fit either.

And honestly, my journey has been easy compared with what so many immigrants and migrants have experienced. I know how fortunate I am. But that doesn’t mean that feeling of being somewhere in between isn’t real.

There’s a strange, unsettling feeling that comes with not knowing exactly where you fit.

But maybe we put too much pressure on ourselves to fit somewhere.

Maybe we’re not supposed to.

I don’t want to be anything other than myself. I just want to feel like I belong.

And perhaps the most reassuring part of this journey is realizing that not completely fitting in doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Maybe it means you’ve experienced enough of the world to become your own culture, your own perspective, your own person.

Maybe being a little bit in between is exactly what makes us unique.

And maybe that’s something to be proud of.

07/10/2026

🇺🇸🍎 TEACHERS — NEW ZEALAND WANTS YOU! 🇳🇿

Thinking about moving to NZ? This could be a great time to look into it.

🇳🇿 Eligible overseas-trained primary & secondary teachers may qualify for:

💰 Up to NZ$10,000 relocation assistance
🏡 Potential Straight to Residence pathway
💵 Some schools offer incentives of up to NZ$40,000 over 5 years
👩‍🏫 Help navigating NZ teacher registration and the move

Your teaching qualification may be recognised, but you'll need to go through the NZQA and Teaching Council processes.

🇺🇸➡️🇳🇿 Want to know what your options could look like?

📧 Email Cali Kiwi: [email protected]

I’m happy to point you in the right direction and help you understand the process.

05/10/2026

I’ve seen a few comments questioning why I compare New Zealand to the United States, or suggesting that because I’ve only been here a few years, I somehow shouldn’t be speaking about life in New Zealand or helping others make the move.

I understand where that comes from. I haven’t lived here my entire life. I came here as an immigrant myself, from Southern California, with my family. And perhaps that is exactly why I have such a deep appreciation for what this country has given us.

I’m not here to pretend that New Zealand is perfect. It isn’t. No country is. There are things I miss about the United States, things I still love about where I came from, and things I sincerely hope improve there. I will always have a place in my heart for America because it is where I was born, where I grew up, and where my story began.

But I’m also unapologetic about how much I love New Zealand.

This country has become home. It has been an incredible place to raise my children, build a life, experience a different culture, and see the world from a completely different perspective. There is a deep sense of gratitude in me for the life we’ve been able to build here.

And yes, I was unexpectedly given an opportunity to help a New Zealand company connect with people around the world who dream of making the same journey we did. What started as an opportunity has grown into something I genuinely care about.

I’ve decided to make helping people navigate their New Zealand journey a passion of mine—not because I think I know everything, and certainly not because I’m a licensed immigration adviser. I’m not. I share my own experience, the lessons I’ve learned, and connect people with qualified professionals and trusted companies who can help with the parts I’m not qualified to handle.

I don’t apologize for talking about where I came from. And I don’t apologize for loving where I am now.

Both things can be true.

I can hope America finds its way through difficult times while still knowing that I intend to spend the rest of my life here in New Zealand.

For me, this isn't about saying one country is better than another.

It’s about being grateful for the journey that brought me here.

New Zealand is home. 🇳🇿

And I’m incredibly thankful that I get to call it that.

"Tēnā koutou katoa

05/10/2026

Grateful for New Zealand 🇳🇿❤️

One thing I’ve learned since immigrating is that no matter where you move in the world, a part of you will always call where you came from home.

We naturally compare. We remember the places, people, traditions, food, holidays, and little things that shaped us. And that’s okay. You can miss where you came from while still being grateful for where you are.

No country is perfect. Every place has its challenges, its frustrations, and its things you may wish were different. New Zealand is no exception.

But after making the journey from Southern California to New Zealand with my family, I can genuinely say that I have an incredible amount of gratitude for the life we’ve built here.

I appreciate the culture. I appreciate the people. I appreciate the sense of community and the warmth and generosity we’ve experienced along the way. There is something incredibly comforting about the way life feels here — a sense of connection, kindness, and a willingness to look out for one another.

New Zealand has become home to us.

That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten where I came from. It simply means I’ve learned that home doesn’t always have to be one place.

You can carry your old home in your heart while making a new one somewhere else.

And for me and my family, I’m incredibly thankful that New Zealand became ours. 🇳🇿❤️

Cali Kiwi Consulting
Helping people navigate the journey of making New Zealand home.